The Dead and the Hopeless
by tear of the sun girl
Summary: Helga is killed in an accident, but now her spirit haunts the one person who always made her feel alive. Arnold doesn't know if he's crazy or not seeing the ghost of a girl he once knew, but she makes him feel whole just by being around. Can they find a happily ever after or is this romance over before it began? Give it a try I suck at summaries. Romance/Comedy/Supernatural/drama.
1. I'm Alive

**TITLE: The Dead and The Hopeless**

**RATING: T for Teen or PG-13, Strong adult themes, mild language, drama, angst, and just in case.**

**SUMMARY: Helga is killed in an accident, and now her ghost haunts the one person who could always keep her going. Can there be a happily ever after?**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Hey Arnold or anything affiliated with it. I have nothing to do with anything. I am just doing this for fun I also do NOT own any songs, books or movies mentioned in this fiction. I am not getting paid to promote them in anyway, and I'm not claiming to own them. Just borrowing so don't sue me.**

**AUTHOR NOTE: This story I promise while kind of dark will be enlightening, and slightly comical. Also each chapter will have ONE song I reccomend that goes with the chapter. Hope you enjoy the story, and the music.**

**SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER ALIVE BY BO BRUCE I DO NOT OWN IT JUST RECCOMEND IT**

* * *

**BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ...**

Helga grabbed her phone from the desk, and glanced at the number it was big Bob. She was sitting in the library during her free period in school studying for a big test coming up. Amid the stacks of books, crumpled papers, and pens was the remainder of her lunch. She turned on her phone with a heavy sigh.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Helga, are you busy?" Bob asked.

"I'm in school Dad." Helga said looking around the library.

"I need you to go pick up your mother." Bob said.

"No, I can't." Helga said looking at her open math book.

"Helga, I'll write you an excuse." Bob said.

"Dad, I have to study." Helga said in a begging tone.

"Look, We got you that car for a reason so that you can help us out. Now go get your mother." Bob said in an angry voice.

"Okay, Where is she?" Helga asked with a heavy sigh.

"She's at that bar again, the irish one." Bob said.

"McGinteys?" Helga asked.

"Yeah." Bob said.

Helga hung up, and grabbed her tattered pink back pack. She tossed her phone inside, and began shoving in her books and papers as well. Her mother always did this disappeared at a bar, and Bob was too busy to go get her so Helga had to. She was getting tired of having to pick up her drunken mother, and play babysitter. In three months she would graduate high-school, and hoping to go to NYU for her writing, but her studying was seroiusly lacking because of her mothers drunkeness. She stood swinging her backpack up, and onto her shoulder grabbing her last three books, Biology, English, and Creative Writing.

She turned around, and slammed into a hard body. Her books scattered spilling papers, and she dropped her knees her back pack sliding off of her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." She said shaking her head.

"Here let me help." The person said.

"Thank you." She said grabbing papers.

He handed her one of her poems, and she smiled looking at him finally it was Arnold. He offered her a timid smile, and she took the paper.

"Thanks Arnold." She said tucking her hair behind her ear.

"No problem." He said standing.

He pulled her to her feet, and she brushed passed him in a rush. He watched her go. She had changed a lot since they were younger. She was taller than most girls, but a full head and a half shorter than him now. She was very skinny, and her longe blonde hair was always poker straight, and silky smooth. He always watched her in class tucking it behind her ear or twirling it around her finger. He picked up a pen off the floor, and could tell by the teeth marks it was hers. He laughed sitting down in the chair she had vacated. She could have been a preppy cheerleader if she had wanted to be, she had the looks, and body for it, but she wasn't.

Much to everyones surprise Helga was a brain. She studied hard, and got good grades in almost every subject. She made honor roll more than a few times. She grew out of the bully stage, but still kept her personal life a secret in fact Arnold new absolutely nothing about her personal life. He saw in her class, and passed her in the halls every day. If he saw her outside school he might say hello, but that was as far as their relationship went. In eighth grade she plucked her eyebrow, but the rest of her looks were natural beauty. She didn't wear makeup, and her clothes consisted of t-shirts, jeans, and converse.

Arnold had grown taller than her, but was still skinny, not sickly so, but not exactly covered in muscel. He wasn't academic, or sporty. He kind of just floated around school trying to graduate so he could get out of this town. He liked his life, but he longed to go looking for his parents. He opened another book filled with foreign maps, and began once again trying to trace his parents route.

* * *

Helga rushed out of the school, and down the steps just as she heard her phone buzz again in her backpack. With a heavy sigh she began digging in her backpack as she walked. She stepped out into the street heading to her car. She heard the screeching tires before anything else. She turned her head, and everything happened in slow motion. The driver tried to stop the car, but he didn't and her body crashed against his hood smashing into the windshield. She felt her ribs cave, and the glass cut into her face. He slammed on his breaks.

She rolled off the hood and onto the pavement, but she didn't feel her body hitting the hard road. Everything was blurry in her vision, and she realized her hearing was distorted. A crowd began to gather, and she heard the driver yelling about 911. She turned her head slightly to see her backpack spilled onto the streets, and her cell phone lay on the road ringing. She could see the number was her mothers, and she instantly felt guilty.

Her mom needed her, and here she was. She tried to move her legs, and realized she couldn't she began to panic, and tried to sit, but couldn't do that either. In fact she couldn't do anything. Her first thought was that she was paralyzed, and an icy fear gripped her until she noticed the rattling coming from her chest everytime she breathed, and she could taste blood.

"Miss, Miss hang on!" The driver yelled. She gurgled something inelidgable.

She felt her body go limp, and she closed her eyes. She felt a warmth spread through her, and she relaxed letting it sink into her bones, and body. Her mom would have to find another way home. She thought of the last person she saw Arnold. Fitting, that it was him. He would be the last person she talked to, and the last person to see her alive, and she had barely spoke to him.

"MISS PLEASE HANG ON!" The driver begged.

She wished he would shut up he was ruining her death with his big mouth. She released a soft sigh, and realized this time there was no rattle, and just like that Helga let go.

* * *

White lightening shot through her body burning her veins, and making her head pound. She screamed as her body contradicted every muscle tensing. It was over as quick as it hit, and she relaxed taking a breath. It hit again, and she bit her tongue to keep from screaming.

"I have a pulse!" Someone yelled.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she turned her head beside her lay a girl. Blonde, and unresponsive. She was covered in blood, and shattered glass. It was then Helga remembered everything, and she jumped to her feet.

"I'm okay!" She yelled looking at the car, and the paramedics, but nobody acknowledged her.

She looked at the girl they were now carefully loading onto the gurney, and realized it was her. She was unresponsive, but the paramedics insisted she was alive. She saw her phone, and made a grab for it. Her hand passed through it, and she gasp pulling away.

"Can anyone see me?" She asked looking around the crowd, but nobody said anything they were watching her body.

"No, I'm alive, I'm alive..."She said closing her eyes, and trying to breathe normally.

"Get her to the emergency room!" The paramedic yelled as he closed the ambulance doors.

"I'm alive...I'm alive...I'm alive." She whispered over, and over as the ambulance roared away.

The pedestrians filed away, and the police, and fireman came and went. None of them acknowledging her as she stood there in the middle of the room watching it all. One fireman walked right through her sending a quick, cold rush through her body. As they finished, and left her alone one thought screamed in her mind, but all she could do was whisper it.

"I'm alive."

* * *

**R&R**


	2. Invisible

**SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER : Invisible by Skylar Grey**

* * *

Helga spent some of the day wandering up, and down the streets. She approached mutiple people on the streets screaming in their ears trying to get anyone to hear her. She attempted to push a few people only for her hands to pass through them.

She went through a few stages of grief the first being confusions, and denial. She repeated the same mantra in her head _**I'm alive **_over, and over trying to get someone to notice her. When nothing changed, and nobdoy noticed stage two set in.

Stage two was panic, she tried to talk to Phoebe who kept walking without even a flinch. Helga screamed at the top of her lungs dropping to her knees in the middle of the sidewalk. She hugged her middle leaning forward letting her forehead rest against the pavement. She kept screaming rocking herself, and feeling the panic grip her until she couldn't breathe. She shoved her hair back roughly and sobbed, until there was nothing left and she felt numb.

Stage three was acceptance. When she was cried and screamed out she pushed unsteadily to her feet, and looked around at all the people going on about their day. They didn't see the girl in the middle of the street whos world was ending.

She began to walk in no particular direction her mind blank, and her spirit restless. She moved down her old block, and saw that her mothers car was home, but her dads BMW was missing. She stood outside her house looking up at it. She wondered if her parents knew what happened to her. She wondered in her mom made it home, and once again felt guilty for not being able to pick her up. She sighed and walked away heading north.

She stood outside the boarding house watching it. As her childhood this house had been more sacred than any church. The place where she found salvation, and felt closest to heaven. Now, she saw it was just a house and it couldn't save her. As she merged through her teenage years her love for Arnold began to flicker, and dim until one day it had been buried away somewhere with her books of poems, and collection of gum. Now, she wanted nothing more than to tread on the most hallowed of ground one more time.

The front door swung open, and she saw Grandpa bringing out the trash. She moved very much like the ghost she was across the street, and up the steps into the house. She put out a hand running it along the wallpaper feeling it under her fingertips. She felt alive again here, this was always the one place she felt alive. Time seemed so much slower, and less important here. She took it all in as if she was taking air into the body she no longer had.

She could smell Grandma baking a pie, hear Grandpa yelling at the garbage outside. She started up the stairs drawing comfort in the soft thud her shoes made on the carpeted steps. This was real, and for now she felt real too. She moved up the stairs into the attic, and stepped into the room that her childhood revolved around.

It hadn't changed much, it hadn't changed at all really except for the maps everywhere. Taped to the walls, and strewn across the desk were maps. She leaned closer to look not sure what she was looking at. A lot of the locations had big red X's on them, others had circles with question marks in the middle. She backed away from the desk to look up at the skylight. Home, she felt like she was home at last.

"What are you doing here?" A voice behind her asked, and she spun around.

"Arnold?" She asked.

"Yeah, what are you doing in here?" He asked tossing his black back pack on the floor.

"You can see me?" She asked.

"Of course I can see you." He said.

She watched him move into the room. He was wearing dark blue jeans that were slightly baggy with a wallet chain hanging from one pocket, and black boots. He had on a black t-shirt, with a black hoodie. His blonde hair was a little bit long falling hazardously across his forehead. He was still devestatingly cute, despite the scowl.

She stood there a minute before bursting into tears, and sinking to he knees. She sobbed.

"Come on don't cry." He said with a wince.

"I've been all over town, and nobdy could see me." She said trying to calm down.

"What?" He asked crossing his arms to study her.

"They couldn't see me, or hear me. I'm alive though." She said looking up at him.

"Look, Helga...enough of all this poetic mumbo jumbo. I'm busy...alright?" He moved passed her to the desk laying more maps down.

"What are you looking for?" She asked standing.

"None of your business. What are you doing here?" He asked looking at her.

"I'm dead..."She said softly.

"Okay, look I heard you had an accident outside of school today..."He said.

"Yeah, I got hit with a car!" She said a little louder than nessecary.

"Okay, well maybe it was a harder hit than you think." He said.

"I'm not crazy Arnold." She said.

"Really? because our history together leads me to believe otherwise." He said moving across the room.

"Call Pheobe! Ask her what happened." She said.

"I don't have time for this Helga. Did you need something?" He asked.

"Please...call Phoebe...please Arnold just call her." Helga begged.

She wanted to reach out and touch him. She wanted to shake him and make him listen to her, but she knew there was no point. She'd just pass right through him.

"Fine, but after I call you have to go." He said grabbing his phone off his desk.

"Okay, fine." She agreed.

She stood there while he leaned against his desk holding the phone to his ear. He wasn't built as big as one would have thought he should be. He was actually rather skinny, but he had passed her up in height, and she vaguely wondered when that happened.

"Phoebe?...it's Arnold I was calling about Helga...what?...calm down Phoebe...when? Where?...no...okay, okay, thanks Phoebe. bye."

He hung up, and just leaned there agains the desk for a minute. She stared openly at him praying that he had an answer.

"You're not dead." He said softly.

"What?" She asked.

"I said you're not dead. Not yet anyway. You're in a coma over at Mercy General." He said.

"A coma?...I'm not dead." She didn't feel anymore relieved.

"Yeah that's what I said. So, maybe you should be at the hospital...you know...with yourself." He suggested turning back to his maps.

"No, they can't see me over there. I'll...I'll be all alone." She said.

"Well, I'm busy." He said.

"Please Arnold you have to help me." She begged rushing to his side.

"Helga..."He started to protest.

"Please, you're the only person who can help me. I can't stay this way!" She said.

"Look, if you're not in your body...go to the light. like normal people." He said.

"There isn't a light." She said.

"There has to be, there's always a light." He said turning in his desk chair to look at her.

"Well there isn't one." She said growing frustrated.

"So, what do you want me to do about it?" He asked.

"Help me...please...you must have an idea." She said.

He looked at her, something in her eyes pulled at him. He sighed turning his chair back around to face his desk. He really had stuff to do, and he hadn't spoken more than a few words to Helga in years.

"Tomorrow, We'll go to the hospital. We'll figure something out." He said softly.

"Really?" She asked looking ready to cry again.

"Really. I'll help you just give me tonight. To do this." He said motioning at his desk.

"I COULD KISS YOU!" She squealed, and he winced.

"Well...don't."He said looking at the maps.

"I couldn't even if I wanted too." She said with a scowl.

"Look, just find something to do okay? Take a nap." He said waving around the room.

"Do I nap?" She asked.

"I don't know Helga. Do you?" He asked looking at her equally confused, and frustrated.

"I don't know..."She admitted feeling suddenly like a stranger even to herself.

"I still don't understand. Why me of all people?" He asked.

"I don't know, maybe because you were the last person I talked too." She said with a shrug.

"Where were you going?" He asked turning his chair to look at her.

She was sitting indian styler on his floor. Her hands in her lap, her hair falling in her face. She looked lost, and pathetic. He felt sorry for her in this moment.

"To get my mother. She was at the bar again, she's always at the bar. Bob is always working, and someone has to go get her." She said it with a shrug, but he sat the hurt in her eys.

"I'm sorry Helga." He said gently.

"The worst part is...I felt like a bad daughter...you know?" She wiped a tear away.

"Why?" He asked.

"She needed me, and I wasn't there...I was...laying in the middle of the street because I was too stupid to look both ways." She said.

"It's not your fault. That responsibility isn't yours." He said.

"Not anymore." She said, her lower lip trembled, and her eys filled with tears.

"We'll figure this out Helga." He said trying to sound reassuring.

"It doesn't matter. I was pretty much invisible before all this happened anyway." She said wiping her eyes.

"No you weren't." He said.

"It didn't matter what I did, how many awards I brought home. They didn't see me not then, not now, not ever." She said shaking her head.

"I see you, and I'm going to fix this." He said.

"What are you working on?" She asked nodding at his desk, and abruptly changing the subject.

"Nothing." He said.

"Come on let me see." She said hopping to her feet.

"I'm trying to track where my parents would be...after graduation I'm going after them."He admitted.

"Let me see." She moved to stand beside him, and he slid the maps towards her.

"hmm...no, see that doesn't work. This area here are all mountains, unless they were rock climbers they wouldn't go that way when they can cut around, follow this river, and get there a day earlier...at least." She said pointing to a river on the map.

"That's incredible. You can read this? How do you know all this?" He asked.

"Olga went through an extreme nature phase. Tried to hiking, climbing rocks all that jazz." Helga said rolling her eyes.

"I never gave the rocks a thought you might have just saved me at least a few days time." He said staring at the map.

"It's not a big deal, so don't make it in to one." She said moving to sit on his bed.

"Why can't you just take a compliment?" He asked turning his chair to look at her.

"Because I'm not used to getting them." She said.

"I've got a couple of hours work ahead of me here. Why don't you go find something to do?" He asked turning back to his desk.

"I can help." She offered.

He sighed, and she thought maybe wasn't going to accept her offer. Then he moved wiping a considerable stack of papers off a nearby chair he pulled it up beside his.

"Come on then." He said, and she rushed to join him.

* * *

A few hours later after Arnold had returned from dinner, and a shower Helga was still sitting at the desk pouring over the maps. She might be on borrowed time, but she could do one more thing for him. He tossed his towel onto a pile of clothes.

"Come on let it go tonight. Let's get some rest." He said shutting off the light.

"No, I can work a little longer." She said.

"Helga...you're flickering."He said in a low tone bracing an arm on the desk.

"What?" She asked.

"You're fading, you're getting more transparent." He said.

"Oh." She sat there feeling panic grip her once again. She was fading, but she felt fine.

"Look, it might be nothing, but I want you to rest." He said.

"Ok." She said softly.

"I fixed the couch for you." He said turning away, and she scowled.

"Why do I have to sleep on the couch?" She asked folding her arms over her chest.

"Because my legs are longer than yours. I won't fit on the couch." He said.

"When my cousins stay over night I'm a polite host, and I give them my bed." She pointed out.

"Good, then you have lots of experience sleeping on couches." He said collapsing onto his bed.

"Come on football head! I'm a girl be a gentleman." She said.

"Don't even start with the name calling or I won't go to the hospital tomorrow." He said.

Twenty three minutes later Arnold tossed, and turned on the ridiculously tiny couch. He heard Helga sigh softly, and shook his head. This was ridiculous. The entire thing. Tomorrow he was taking her to that hospital figuring out what the hell was going on, and then he was getting out of there.

* * *

**R&R **


	3. Easy Tonight

**SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER IS - It's not easy tonight by Five for Fighting. Do Not Own just recommend. It's a great song, and it reminds me very much of someone I once knew. So, give it a listen while you read. **

* * *

When Arnold woke up his entire body ached from sleeping on the cramped couch, but Helga was nowhere to be seen.

"Just a dream." He said to himself.

He drug himself to his closet pulling on his warn dark blue jeans, and a black t-shirt. He moved down the stairs into the kitchen. Grandma was humming some old jazz tune, and he could smell the pancakes.

"Well look who's awake." Grandpa said as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Morning Grandma, Grandpa." Arnold sat down at the small table. picking up a glass of juice.

"Morning Football head." Her voice jolted through his body, and he splashed orange juice all over himself, and the table shooting to his feet.

"Helga?" He called out aware that Grandpa was staring at him.

"Right here. Where else would I be?" She asked hopping down from the counter where she was sitting watching Grandma bake.

He eased back down into his chair trying to look normal. He glanced at Grandpa who shook his head, and took a drink of coffee.

"I thought I was dreaming." Arnold said under his breath so Grandpa didn't hear.

"Believe me I wish you were. I woke up to Grandma singing, and...I just wanted to watch her for awhile." Helga said moving to sit in the vacant chair to his right.

He didn't say anything as Grandma set a plate stacked with pancakes infront of him. He grimaced, and glanced at his Grandpa who was digging into his own food.

"I really have a lot to do today. I might skip school." Arnold said.

"Can I ask what you're doing?" Grandpa asked.

"Yeah I want to go see Helga. She's uh...in the hospital." Arnold said glancing at her.

"Well, alright Shortman. You really need to eat your breakfast though. You don't eat enough to keep a bird alive." Grandpa said.

"I'm really not hungry." Arnold said.

"Your grandpa said eat. So eat." Helga said from her chair.

He looked over at her, and saw she was leaving no room for argument. He couldn't really argue anyway, and still look sane so reluctantly he began to eat the pancakes. Helga watched him for a minute before moving to read the paper over Grandpas shoulder.

* * *

It was an hour later when they walked out onto the street. Arnold pulled his black hoodie closer, and zipped it.

"Okay, so where's your car?" Helga asked.

"You're looking at it." He said, motioning to the beat up blue dodge parked in front of the boarding house.

"Are you serious?" She looked at him, and he shrugged.

"It gets me where I'm going." He said.

"Whatever, let's just go." She said walking to the drivers door.

"What are you doing?" He asked following her around the car.

"I can't open doors. I'll just climb over the seat." She said motioning at he door.

He opened the door and motioned her inside. She stepped into the car and he tried not to check her out, but as she scrambled over the seat his eyes roamed. He was a man after all, and he had a thing for long legs.

"Are you coming or what?" She asked, and he realized he'd been staring.

"Sorry." He slid in behind the wheel closing the door, and starting down the road.

"So, what's the plan?" She asked looking at him.

"I don't know...Helga, I'm not even sure you're real at this point. You could be a figment of my imagination. Maybe, I'm going crazy." He said.

"Why me? If you're really crazy why are you seeing me?" She asked crossing her arm over her chest.

"I don't know." He said shaking his head.

"So, What's the plan?" She asked again.

"We go to the hospital, and find out what the doctors are saying then we...try, and put you back." He said.

"Do you think this will work?" She asked.

"I don't know Helga. I've never exactly done this before, but it makes sense." He said. He sounded irritated, and she frowned.

"Okay." She said with a sigh.

They rode in silence and he felt guilty for the way he snapped at her. As confusing as it was for him, it must be terrifying for her. She was staring out the window now, but he knew she had to be scared.

"I'm sorry I snapped." He said with a sigh.

"It's fine, I'm sorry." She said.

"Look, we'll get you to the hospital. We'll figure this out." He said.

"Thank you." She said with a sad smile.

"Hey, at least you're not flickering today." He said taking in her solid looking appearance.

"Yeah, I always thought when I was dead I wouldn't need sleep, but it turns out I was exhausted." She admitted.

"Hopefully once we get you back with yourself everything will be okay." He said.

"If it's not I understand." She said.

"It will be." He said wondering how he knew.

* * *

They pulled up in front of the hospital, and Arnold climbed out holding the door for Helga to get out as well. They walked into the hospital together, and he approached the desk.

"I'm looking for Helga Patakis room." He said.

"Floor 6 room 621." The nurse said.

"Thank you." He started down the hall, and Helga followed him silently.

They stepped onto the elevator and as it slowly made it's way up he glanced at Helga. She wasn't flickering, but she looked weary. He wished he could help her, but he didn't know where to begin.

"I'm going to try to help you Helga." He said.

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. He stepped off, and Helga forced herself to follow him. They walked down the hallway, and Helga saw herself. The room she was in was at the end of the hall, and there was a small glass window. She took off at a run towards her body and Arnold followed her.

"Helga!" He ran down the hall and straight into Big Bob.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked grabbing Arnold by the back of his hoodie.

"Hello Mr. Pataki."He said softly.

"Alfred? What are you doing here?" Bob asked letting go of him.

"I came to see Helga." Arnold said motioning into the room where Helga stood staring at her lifeless body.

"I don't think so." Bob said.

"Please Mr. Pataki I have to see her." Arnold begged.

"B just let him go in." Miriam said rising from a nearby chair.

"Alright, but make it quick boy." Big Bob said, and Arnold nodded before going into the room.

He stepped up beside Helga to glance at her form laying in the bed. Wires, and tubes went everywhere and the gentle beep was the only thing that let him know she was alive. He moved a little closer to the bad. Helga stood staring at her self equally as still as her body. He was aware of Miriam stepping into the room.

"How bad is it?" He asked her.

"I really shouldn't tell you." She said.

"Please, I need to know." He said glancing at Helga who was still staring at herself her mother behind her.

"Four broken ribs,a broken arm, and the impact fractured her skull. She's in a coma. the doctors said if she doesn't wake up in the next 12 hours then...as of right now the machines are all that's keeping her alive." Miriam said.

He glanced at Helga where she was standing. Her eyes filled with tears and she put a hand over her mouth as if she would throw up. He could see her breaking bit by bit until she let out a strangled sob, and he turned back to Miriam.

"Thank you. I'll be done here in a minute." He said.

"Take your time." Miriam said she left closing the door behind her.

"Helga, come on now. Keep it together." He said.

"I'm dying...I'm dying." She said.

"No, You're alive just calm down." He said.

"I don't know what to do." She said looking at him with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Just concentrate, breathe." He said moving closer to her body he reached out and gently touched her hand.

"I can feel that." Helga said.

"You can feel me touching you?" He asked looking at her.

"Yes." She said.

"What does that mean?" He asked.

"I don't know..."She looked back at her body.

"Just try and get back in." He said motioning at her body.

"Okay, yeah." She climbed onto the bed and he looked at all the IVs and tubes.

Her face was bruised completely on her left side, and there was a tube going down her throat. Her head was wrapped in gauze, and her eyes were black and swollen. He looked at her arm one arm had an I.V. the other had a cast. Her body was a mangled mess and he wondered how she was alive at all.

"It's not working." Helga said as she moved behind him and he turned to face her.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm not sticking I'm just passing through myself. It's not working." She said and he saw tears in her eyes.

"Don't cry. I'll figure something out." He said.

"Maybe this is it for me...maybe, I'm suppose to die." She said.

"No, don't think like that." He said.

She looked at her body and he felt bad for her. The misery was all over her face.

"Can we leave?" She asked suddenly.

"Yeah, let's go." He said.

His initial plan was to let her there with herself, but seeing her broken body, and her broken spirit he couldn't let her alone struggling to get reconnected with herself. He was stuck with her for a little longer at least.

They stepped into the hall and Big Bob approached him.

"Did you get to say your goodbyes?" He asked.

"No, I just talked to her a little." Arnold said.

"If she doesn't wake up...we're taking her off the machines." Bob said.

Arnold tensed, and he heard Helga whimper beside him.

"Mr. Pataki...please...just give her some time." Arnold said.

"We are..four days." He said.

"When the time comes to make the decision...please... call me first." Arnold said.

"Look Alfred..."Bob began.

"We will call you...I promise." Miriam said from a nearby chair.

"Thank you." Arnold said.

Arnold started down the hall and Helga followed him. She was quiet the entire elevator ride, and by the time they reached his car his nerves were on a tightrope. He opened his door and after she climbed in he got in shutting his door.

"Helga..." He began.

"They're going to kill me in four days." She said.

"I know..."He said.

"What am I going to do?" She sobbed covering her face with her hands her blonde hair falling forward.

"I don't know." He said honestly.

She kept crying and he wished he could help her, but he didn't even know where to start. Instead he started his car and drove home. He parked in front of the boarding house and she climbed out of the car suddenly silent. She moved soundlessly up the stairs to his room, and sat like a statue on the couch.

"I'm going to work for a little bit, are you going to be okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I just need some time." She said.

He sat down at his desk pulling out his maps. His obsession with his parents dissapearence had grown with him, it molded him, built him into who he was. The only thing that fueled him was the maps and knowing that as soon as he was out of college he would follow them. He would find them.

He missed Lunch and dinner not for the first time, and Helga sat silent on the couch all night. When it was time for bed he motioned her off the couch and took his place she moved silently to the bed, and lay down. He tossed and turned for a full two hours pictures of her broken twisted body haunted him., and Helgas soft crying echoed in his room.

He tried to forget the way her mangled form lay in that bed, so still. It was like a bad movie playing over and over. The sound of her cries echoing over her own mothers voice as she listed her injuries. Even, if she found a way back what was a head for her? Her body didn't look like much anymore. She was pretty had been pretty for awhile now. He would pass her every so often in the hallways, and he noticed the way she had changed. He was too busy to date much and she didn't care about anything but her studies.

Her beautiful face was black and blue, Her perfect mind was slowly giving up and the fiery soul that was Helga was crumbling right before his eyes,and he was powerless to stop it.

He fell into a fitful sleep plagued by nightmares of his parents.

He woke up somewhere around three in the morning. He staggered half asleep down the stairs and used the restroom. His back and legs ached. He had fallen asleep on his couch again. He ran a hand through his hair as he climbed the stairs to his room. He collapsed face first onto his bed. Every muscle relaxed at the comfortable mattress and warm blankets. He fell into a deep dreamless sleep and for the first time in years he wasn't plagued with nightmares about his parents.

* * *

**All readers who are interested you can now head over to a brand new Hey Arnold forum. I am usually in there and you can talk to me there, or meet other writers. As of now there aren't many people, but the more who stop in the more fun it will be. There is also a section where you can mention your favorite fanfictions for others to read. I mentioned some of mine, and Sandra Strickland has already kicked things off! Stop on in and you might find a new fiction to love.**

**COME JOIN US AT "WELCOME TO HILLWOOD"!**


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